The Cost of Rebellion
by Neo-Pendragon
Summary: Good triumphing over evil is not always guaranteed. We let these monsters win due to our selfish desires, but will we lay down at their feet to die? No. Order may be destroyed, and madness may reign, but humanity fights on. And boy are we kicking. (AU) (Summary Inside)
1. Summary

Everyone would come to know the night as the Night of the Blood Moon, the night where humanity was no longer the dominant species of the world. Waves upon waves of demons invaded from a mysterious island that rose from the sea. Their terrifying might and horrid powers overwhelmed the unsuspected wizards of the world, and the demons quickly seized control of the royal palace in Icroalas, establishing the Gahena Empire ruled by the Court of Madness and their terrifying Heralds of Madness.

Immediately, Magic was labeled illegal and carried the most devastating punishments: a grisly public execution or enslavement for the macabre gladiatorial games run for the demons merriment. When all hope seems lost, a small spark ignites the fire of rebellion. A group of powerful wizards banded together to form the underground Fairy Rebellion, right in the heart of enemy territory.

Lucy Heartphilia, the daughter of simple carpenters, became an orphan on the Night of the Blood Moon, and now lives day to day on the streets of Icroalas, trying to survive in the evergrowing dangerous environment. But when a public execution goes awry, and Lucy's latent magical powers ignite, she's labeled as a target, and her only refuge is an invitation from a fiery, pink-haired wizard.

With the Osparian royal family still in chains in their own dungeons, the Fairy Rebellion is the only real justice that humans can believe. But their plans get bigger; they plan to strike the Court of Madness where it hurts, but will they succeed? Or will they see the true, devastating cost of rebellion?

* * *

 ** _Rated M for Violence and mature themes_**

 ** _A/N: All canon characters are not my creations, and all credit for them goes to Hiro Mashima, but a_** ** _ll OC's and settings belong to me. Also, i_** _ **t's been a while since I've been able to actually sit down and write a story, so all reviews, critiques, and suggestions are more than welcome.**_


	2. Prologue: A Rose for A Princess

**Prologue, Part One: Strings of Fate Entangled; A Rose for A Princess**

Raindrops splattered across the glass pane of the castle windows, their fruitless barrage adding to the discoursed and fractured symphony of the ever-present storm. Despite the efforts of the servants, wind seeped through the nooks and crannies of the castle, announcing its inauspicious arrival with a chaotic dance of gusts, rattling paintings and tossing curtains in its wake. Torches sputtered as it passed, throwing distorted shadows on the extravagant walls.

Although the wind seemed to try, it could not reach the upper towers of the royal castle. Just out of its invisible reach, sat the beautiful Princess Hisui. Tucked away in her own paradise, she sat at the window seat of her hidden reading room, untouched by the responsibilities of her royal title.

With her forehead pressed against the cool glass, the princess watched absentmindedly as tiny tributaries of raindrops rushed down to form a waterfall over the lip of the window sill. Her mind was running like the water, imagining herself in a faraway land, far beyond the castle into the exciting expansion of the unknown.

Lost in adventurous bliss, Princess Hisui did not notice the creaky hinges of her hideaway door announcing the arrival of her most trusted guard. The well-built man paused at the door, seeing the princess in her pensive state and began to proceed with cautious movements.

Although he tried not to disturb the princess, the guard's armor echoed throughout the stone room, shattering the princess's daydreams. Even so, Princess Hisui did not take her eyes off the rain. Instead, she just sighed wistfully. "Arcadios, this is my only place of peace away from my father. I thought we were going to keep it a secret."

"My apologies your highness," Arcadios bowed slightly, "but you missed dinner several hours ago, and your father was worried about your well being. He sent two palace guards and me to go looking for you. But I assure you, this place is still a secret."

Finally, Princess Hisui tore her eyes away from the rain and looked at the famous undefeated knight. The unlikely pair had forged a unique bond of friendship over the years, and the princess trusted him with her life. "And what of the other two guards? Do they know of this place?"

Arcadios's words came out somewhat strained as he stood to his full height, "your father instructed them to follow my every move. They're waiting outside."

Another wistful sigh. "No matter, I can't keep running from my responsibilities forever."

"But your highness. . ." Arcadios's words trailed off into silence. Although the bond between them was strong, he was unsure of how freely he could speak. Summoning his courage, and straightening his shoulders, he continued with his original thought, "your father isn't going to live forever. You must know the ways of running a kingdom before he does pass on so that Osparia can remain strong. The people are expecting a queen."

"But what if I'm not the queen they expect," Princess Hisui stood up from her window seat, her satin nightgown spilling onto the floor as the tears began to sparkle her eyes, "What if I can't lead this kingdom like my father can? What if it falls into ruin under my rule?"

Somewhat surprised at the unexpected show of emotions, Arcadios rushed forward, gently clasping Princess Hisui's hands inside his own. The princess looked up at him, and the knight smiled gently down at her. "You are wise, compassionate, and have a heart stronger than any guard, wizard, or knight I know; you will make a wonderful queen."

"You really think so?"

"I really do."

Princess Hisui embraced him, "thank you Arcadios," she sniffled, "you truly are a great friend **."**

Arcadios was unsure of what to do with the sudden show of compassion. Awkwardly, he patted the princess's head. Hisui pulled away. Her face cracked into a grin as she wiped the tears away, "I do suggest you work on your people skills. They're a little unpolished."

Arcadios chuckled. "It would be my honor to practice them, your highness."

Suddenly, a sound interrupted the storm's performance, as well as the last pure, tender moment of humanity. Crude, metal clanging echoed throughout the castle corridors. Seconds later, another joined, and then another, and another; until the sound of a multitude of iron bells filled the air.

Without hesitation, Arcadios released Hisui and stormed to the entrance of her hideaway. Using an armor-clad foot, he broke the door down with a mighty kick, surprising both of the confused guards that were posted outside. "There seems to be a breach in the castle's outer wall," Arcadios stated curtly, "we are to escort Princess Hisui to the shelter until the threat has passed."

Realizing the severity of the situation, both guards snapped to attention. "Sir! Yes, Sir!" They shouted in unison.

Hisui's stomach fluttered with butterflies. Never in her life has she had to enter the shelter. Not to mention that her father was somewhere else in the vast expanse of the palace. The princess hoped he was surrounded by his royal guard.

 _Of course he's safe_ , Hisui thought as she shook her head and chided herself, _the royal guard is ordered not to leave his side. The intruder is also at the outer wall, hundreds of guards stand between them and us. They will be captured and punished in no time._

Arcadios grabbed Hisui's wrist with his steel grip and tugged, snapping her from her thoughts and causing her to stumble forward and trip over her nightgown. With great effort, she regained her footing as they continued to run.

The small stone corridor ended quickly at what looked like a wall. Without even pausing his sprint, Arcadios slammed his shoulder into the dead end. It burst open; the ancient, hidden hinges creaking loudly with effort.

The dead end was, in fact, a large painting of the royal castle on hinges that opened into the princess's private chambers. She had discovered the room as a child while playing and used it as her little escape ever since.

As they ran out of her room and down the stairs, Princess Hisui had to sprint to keep up with Arcadios's long strides and stay with the two guards flanking her sides.

Her private chambers were one of the highest rooms in the castle, and the shelter was a secret room on the ground floor that was connected to a tunnel leading far away from the castle grounds. Perfect for the royal family to hide in situations like this, but impractical when they had to cover a long distance such as she did.

However, at Arcadios's more than brisk pace, they were traveling much farther than Princess Hisui could on her own. Only several more floors stood between them and safety. Hisui had no need for worry.

As they rushed down the eighth staircase, Hisui heard one of the guards flanking her side murmur under his breath between heavy breaths, "at least the storm has stopped."

The princess was so preoccupied with worry that she hadn't even noticed the absence of the wind and rain. But now that she was aware of it, the silence seemed unsettling. Besides their own, no footsteps were echoing in the halls. No shouts of alarm, astonishment, or triumph sounded. Even the bells had stopped. It was as if the whole world was holding their breath and waiting.

It was torturous.

The small party skidded around the corner and continued to run down a wide hallway far grander than most. Fashioned entirely from marble and containing many priceless paintings, this grand corridor was a prime example of the kingdom and the royal family's wealth. At the end, it branched off to the right and left. A large, beautiful stain glass window depicting the castle in a cornucopia of brilliant colors graced the intersection.

Beyond it, the moon cast its white, yet dim light, causing the hallway to have a glow that almost seemed magical.

"Just a couple more floors your highness." Arcadios didn't even shout, yet his voice pierced the silence as if he did.

 _CRASH!_

The stain glass window exploded, spraying small bits of multicolored glass in all directions.

In a futile attempt to stop the glass, Princess Hisui threw her arms up to shield her eyes. But it was unnecessary. Without hesitation, Arcadios turned, so his back was to the window, and Hisui was in the shadow of his massive frame. The glass bounced harmlessly off his thick metal armor.

"Are you okay Princess?" Arcadios asked with concern.

Hisui lowered her arms slowly. She was a tad rattled, causing her voice to quiver slightly, "I'm alright. Thanks to you."

"Sir, Arcadios, Sir," one of the guards interjected, "we seem to have company."

Among the shattered, multicolor glass, crouched a figure in a cloak so dark that it almost allowed them to melt into the shadows. They said nothing, but somehow Princess Hisui knew that they were the cause of the iron bells.

"State your name intruder!" Arcadios demanded.

The shadowy figure rose to its full height, almost as tall as Arcadios and calmly unclasped the link of their cloak. The material fell to the ground like running water, unveiling the intruder's appearance. Hisui gasped.

Her attention was held tight by the stunningly beautiful intruder in front of her.

Princess Hisui's attention tunneled in on him. Everything else in her vision seemed cloudy, which only highlighted every detail of his stunning appearance. His blue eyes glittered like Eskijanian glaciers, and his hair shone like a golden sunset found in the deserts of Al'uma. His sun-kissed skin was stretched tautly over his corded muscle. White teeth flashed brightly in the darkness as he grinned slyly, but said nothing.

"We said state your name!" Arcadios repeated. The voice of her friend pulled Hisui out of her daze. It was almost like the stranger was a snake charmer; using an unknown spell to capture her attention and hold it mercilessly in his clutches. But now that Hisui was aware of this danger, the world no longer seemed cloudy, and the intruder was no longer the center of her attention. She was as acutely focused on her surroundings as ever.

The intruder looked passed Arcadios, his vision focusing on Princess Hisui. "There you are my beautiful little gemstone of jade," the intruder cooed, ignoring Arcadios's order. His sultry voice flowed like honey and felt as velvety as the princess's finest regalia. Again, Hisui relapsed into a daze, captivated against her will. She feared that if she listened to another word, she would become entranced forever; lost in a ballad with no end.

Not even aware of her actions, Princess Hisui, took a single step forward to the intruder. She wanted to be held in his embrace, listen to his voice all day. This was no intruder, this was a friend.

Arcadios held out his arm, blocking the princess's progress. The simple contact made her aware of her actions, and she grounded herself to a halt. _He's playing with my emotions or thoughts_ , she thought venomously, _I must stand firm._

"I'm going to ask you one more time," Arcadios's voice now rose to a shout, "what is your name?!"

The beautiful stranger remained silent.

"You're not going give us answers eh," The guard on Hisui's right drew his sword, the metal screeched as it dragged along the inside of its scabbard, "I guess we'll just have to take them from you."

The guard darted forward.

"Stand down!" Arcadios ordered, his eyes wide with surprise and fear. Hisui had never seen the knight like this before. He had never been once defeated in battle, because of this, Hisui thought he was untouchable. The princess knew the intruder was dangerous, but Arcadios must have appraised their true might.

The guard ignored his superior's orders and continued his charge with a brutal yell. He feinted a swipe toward the intruder's left side, but quickly pivoted on his heel, to spin around and use the force of that movement to try and deliver a mighty blow to his opponent's right.

Not even flinching at the feint to his one side, the intruder jumped back to avoid the actual second blow. "You're just as predictable as the rest. Let's see if you break as easy too."

The intruder simply snapped. The floor around the guard's feet exploded, throwing bits of the marble and dust up in a billowing cloud of white. Both the guard and his opponent were soon enveloped.

Not even seconds passed before the guard screamed. All his confidence and sureness of victory were gone, absolute terror was now weaved in his desperate cries.

Silence.

"Nobody move," Arcadios murmured. He slowly reached down for his sword and clasped its handle, but did not draw it.

The dust slowly began to dissipate bit by bit. Shadowy shapes soon began to appear inside the disappearing cloud. Blurry at first, but as the forms started to become clear, Hisui's eyes widened with horror, and her hand clamped her mouth shut, containing the screams that she so desperately wanted to release.

Lifeless eyes. Gaping mouth. Arched back.

This man's last moments were now on full display for them to see.

There were large fissures in the marble where it had exploded. Three large, thick, green vines had miraculously grown from these spaces. All of them were covered in long thorns that ended in needle-like points, and regrettably gorgeous, lush roses. The top of the vines tapered into a long spike, which had gone through the guards back and out his stomach and chest, forming a pyramid of death. The blood on the tips of the vines glistened menacingly in the moonlight.

 _SHNK!_

The three vines retracted in unison, and the body fell from its position of several yards off the ground. It struck the marble with a dull thump. A pool of blood began to form, staining the guards uniform and creating a grisly puddle of death underneath.

The three lethal rose vines retreated behind the intruder and froze, all of them arched like a scorpion's tail waiting to strike.

The intruder crouched down and lifted the guard's limp wrist. Frowning as if dissatisfied, he dropped it. "This one was courageous but foolish. A shame it broke."

"Get. Away. From. Him." Arcadios growled through gritted teeth.

Grinning, the intruder stood up, "looks like I've struck a nerve. Just to assure you, other guards did last a little bit longer than this. Silly things sacrificed themselves in vain for that stupid, old fool."

Hisui gasped. A rush of emotions washed through her mind: fear, anger, dread, just to name a few. "Father. . ."

Arcadios was now shaking with anger. "You monster! I'll tear you to pieces!"

"Tsk Tsk Tsk," The intruder shook his head, "let's try not to get emotional here. I cannot stand the sight of something so. . . unsightly."

"Then tell me!" Arcadios brandished his mighty sword, and leveled it at the intruder, "If you can't stand the unsightly, how come you can murder this man, and all those other men?!"

"Death is hardly unsightly. It is often cloaked in red, and red is one of the most beautiful things in the world. After all," The intruder plucked a rose from one of the thorny vines that were poised to strike Hisui and her guards, "it is the color that coats my beauties."

Arcadios took a step forward, prepared to charge, but Hisui grabbed his arm, "Arcadios! You can't fight him! His magic is too powerful!"

Arcadios tugged his arm out of Hisui's grip. The princess fell to the floor due to the force of that simple action. "I'm sorry Princess Hisui. But this man has invaded the palace, murdered my comrades, possibly killed your father, and now threatens your well being _. I must_ fight." He looked down at Hisui, and his features softened, " _you must_ survive. You are the hope Osparia, and its subjects need your highness."

With those words, Arcadios turned and charged towards the intruder to engage in a deadly dance of sword and thorn.

The surviving guard grabbed Hisui's arm and jerked her up to her feet. "It isn't safe here. I'm sorry Princess, but we must go."

"No!" Hisui pulled her arm with all her might to escape, but the man's grip was too strong. "I'm not leaving Arcadios! You're a guard! Go fight!"

The guard's features darkened, "I have strict orders from Arcadios to protect you until the threat has passed. Do you think he would want to see you get hurt? Or worse, killed?

Hisui stopped pulling, she was speechless. The dam broke, and tears began to fall as she started to sob an ugly, heartwrenching sob filled with the pure anguish of the responsibilities, despair, and grief that had been forced upon her. The guard pulled on her arm, and Princess Hisui did nothing this time to resist. There was no use in resisting.

"I'm sorry my little gemstone of jade, but you're not going to slip through my fingers!"

Another loud crack sounded as the marble exploded in front of the fleeing guard and princess. One of the thorny vines reared its ugly head almost to the ceiling, its roses like a dozen glowing eyes of a monster. Hisui and the guard skidded to a halt. As if the universe was holding its breath, time seemed to slow to a halt and capture the second in an everlasting loop. The last second that Princess Hisui and her guard would remain alive

Then, the universe exhaled and the vine struck.

Hisui squeezed her eyes shut. If death was going to come, she did not want to know when.

She felt two hands press against her side and abruptly shove her. The stable ground underneath Hisui disappeared, and the princess went tumbling across the cold marble floor.

Once she had slowed to a stop. Hisui paused to gather her bearings before stumbling to her feet. She was in a slight daze from hitting her head on the marble. Reaching back, she gingerly touched the aching spot on the crown of her head. _There's no bleeding_ , Hisui thought as she winced, _at least that's good. Wait. . ._

Slowly, the princess turned around. This time, there was no stopping the scream that rose up inside her throat.

Pinned to the ground, the person who had just saved the Princess's life, was the guard who had tried to flee with her, a thorny rose vine straight through his heart.

"This is all too much!" Hisui turned away, squeezing her eyes shut, and pressing her hands over her ears in a futile attempt to keep out the death that surrounded her. Tears streamed down her face in steady rivers. "Go away, go away, go away, go away, go away!"

Princess Hisui was at her wit's end. Fervent chaos swirled around her like a tempest, the fierce winds squeezing her heart until she thought it might burst and overflow with grief. Her thoughts were shattered, and her mind struggled to gather the scattered pieces. _There's no use in fighting anymore,_ Hisui thought despondently, _we can't win._

As her senses slowly became realigned, Hisui heard clashes of steel and yelling. _Arcadios!_

Hesitantly, the princess edged closer to the treacherous duel, careful enough to keep her distance, but close enough to hear their words.

"Would you look at this, no one has survived this long against my beauties." The intruder had not moved a single muscle. The rose vines, however, attacked with the ferocity of whips. Each of them lashing out with high speed and precision.

Arcadios was spending all his energy defending against the pernicious plants. He had yet to find a window to retaliate. Hisui watched with great trepidation. The princess knew that she should be fleeing for her life, but she just could not summon the courage to leave Arcadios by himself to the mercy of that heinous. . . thing!

Suddenly, Arcadios lept to the side. A vine grazed his side, and he grimaced in pain, but he countered with a far more devastating blow. With a mighty swing, he was able to slice two rose vines in half, and with more time to evade, the enormous knight swiftly dispatched of the third, and final one.

One of the intruder's eyes ticked slightly with irritation, "Impressive, you are the first person to ever defeat my beautiful roses. Sadly, that is the last thing you will ever-"

With remarkable speed unbefitting of a man of his stature, Arcadios lunged forward, his sword ready to slice and decapitate his opponent. However, the intruder still did not move. Instead, he smiled cunningly.

Like a stone thrown into a pond, the intruder's appearance rippled. As his height shortened, his golden hair lengthened and darkened to a lush chocolate brown. His muscular frame softened to a voluptuous hourglass figure, and with one blink, their eyes transformed to a lush green, and their face reshaped into that of a stunning woman with long eyelashes and high cheekbones.

Princess Hisui was shocked. Not only could the intruder command fatal rose vines that could pierce through a human body, but they could also change their appearance at will. _For someone to have two magic powers that were unrelated to one another,_ Hisui though with dread, _they must be truly powerful._

Whether it be the astonishment of the sudden appearance change or his innate chivalrous nature, Arcadios hesitated at the critical moment of victory. Taking advantage of this, the women slashed her hand through the air. Two vines exploded from the floor and crossed each other in the middle to pierce deep into both of the knight's sides.

"Arcadios!"

The knight jerked at the impact and froze, his eyes wide with bewilderment. Slowly, as if to confirm for himself, Arcadios lowered his head to look at the two rose vines.

The intruder chuckled as the vines rapidly withdrew, "the hearts of men are so easy to manipulate."

Arcadios swayed slightly like a tree bending in the weight of a fierce gale, before falling backward.

Hisui screamed.

Ignoring the peril of the intruder, the princess rushed forward and dropped beside the motionless body of her most trusted guard and best friend. With great care, Hisui cradled Arcadios's head in her arms. She would have thought that she had no more tears left to cry, but more fell onto the knight's closed eyelids.

With great apprehension, Hisui leaned over and pressed her ear against Arcadios's lips. The knight's breathing was so shallow that the princess thought it was her imagination. But as it continued, joy and relief flowed through her mind. Arcadios was bleeding profusely and in critical condition, but at least he was alive.

"Hope is such a fickle little thing. I wouldn't hold on to it for too long."

Hisui's eyes snapped up to find the intruder in their original form of the stunningly attractive man. No longer was the princess's attention captured by his unctuous behavior and striking appearance. Instead, an untamed wildfire of rage flared behind her dark green eyes. She was going to make this man, this murderer, atone for his crimes against Osparia and the natural order of life.

Hand darting forward with the speed of a cobra, Hisui grabbed a knife from Arcadios's belt and held it threateningly in front of her. The intruder's gorgeous eyes widened in surprise at the sudden ferocity. Princess Hisui slowly rose, her voice steady and commanding, "how dare you invade my castle, kill my guards, murder my father, and hurt my best friend. You will pay for your sins."

"Oh sweetheart," the intruder chuckled, "if only you knew."

"Knew what?!

"Nothing." The intruder looked Princess Hisui up and down. A girl in a satin nightgown too long for her petite frame, holding a knife stolen from a fallen knight sworn to protect her. The man's smile grew more, showing off all his dazzling pearl teeth, "you look quite pitiful holding that knife. It's actually hilarious."

"As long as Osparia needs me, I will fight on!" Princess Hisui hollered bravely. Gone was the frightened little girl, a princess ready to lay down her life for her kingdom now stood against the horrid one man army.

The intruder's appearance rippled once more. The knife clattered on the floor as Princess Hisui watched in horror and repulsion as the glacier eyes melted into black, soulless voids. Sunset hair receded back into his scalp until only several uneven patches of burned hair remained. The bronze skin and corded muscle began to crack and gray as it shriveled down to the bones. Dazzling, pearl teeth became yellow and broken, forming an uneven, malicious grin.

The beautiful intruder was gone. Instead, a rotting corpse took its place.

"It's a shame a beautiful jewel such as yourself as to run and stress about a kingdom such as this." The intruder's once velvety voice now sounded like sandpaper, its breath smelled of a plague, "let us take control of it from here."

As the terrifying implications of the intruder's intentions sunk in, a macabre red light began to highlight and magnify the intruder's repulsiveness.

Light that emanated from the bleeding moon.


End file.
